Early career

The son of a wealthy lumberman, Patrick was a great rover and defenceman who first came to prominence in 1900 when he played for McGill University. In 1904 he was the star for the Brandon team in the Northwestern and Manitoba Hockey Leagues and became the first defenceman known to score a goal. With Patrick at cover point, Brandon challenged the Ottawa Senators for the Stanley Cup in that season, but were defeated in the two-game, total-goal series.[2]

He had greater success with the famed Montreal Wanderers in the 1906 and 1907 seasons. Scoring 41 goals as a rushing defenceman in just 28 scheduled games while serving as captain of the Redbands, Patrick led them to the Stanley Cup in both seasons. He followed that up by being signed as a high-priced free agent by the Renfrew Creamery Kings in the National Hockey Association's first year of operation, by which time Patrick was recognized as one of hockey's great stars.[3]

Women's ice hockey

By 1910 the entire Patrick family would have an impact on the Nelson, British Columbia Ladies Hockey Club. Sisters Myrtle, Cynda and Dora Patrick were all involved with the club. In 1911 the Nelson Ladies Club was coached by Lester, and Dora was the captain.[4]

Pacific Coast Hockey Association

The Patricks long had western tie. Their father Joe was a major lumber entrepreneur in British Columbia — and in 1911 he, Lester and his brother Frank had their greatest gamble, the formation of the Pacific Coast Hockey Association, backed with money from the sale of the family business. Luring away many eastern stars, the PCHA from the start was a prominent force in hockey, and for 15 years it would contest (along with the Western Canada Hockey League in the early 1920s) the Stanley Cup with its eastern rivals, the NHA and the National Hockey League.[5]

New rules

Patrick invented 22 new rules that remain in the NHL rulebook to this day. He introduced the blue line, the forward pass, and the playoff system, a change adopted by other leagues and sports around the world. After a suggestion by his father Joe, he began using numbers on players' sweaters and in programs to help fans identify the skaters. A new rule allowed the puck to be kicked everywhere but into the net, and allowed goaltenders to fall to the ice to make a save. He was responsible for crediting assists when a goal was scored, and invented the penalty shot. It's no wonder he was later called "the Brains of Modern Hockey."

Victoria Aristocrats

Lester himself was the captain and star of the Victoria Aristocrats, winning First Team All-Star accolades three of the five seasons he played for them. The franchise — plagued by small crowds — was moved to Spokane, Washington and became the Spokane Canaries in 1916, and Patrick achieved his fourth and final First Team All-Star berth. After that season the Canaries were disbanded, and Patrick joined the Stanley Cup champion Seattle Metropolitans.[5]

The Aristocrats were revived in 1918 as the Victoria Cougars, and Patrick took over as player-manager. Despite playing in only about half the games, he was named to the Second All-Star team once more before retiring as a player after the 1922 season.[5]

New York Rangers

Lester Patrick serving as goaltender

Patrick is famous for an incident which occurred during the Stanley Cup finals of 1928. At the age of 44 years, 3 months, 9 days, while serving as coach and general manager of the Rangers, Patrick inserted himself into the April 8 playoff game to play goal against the Montreal Maroons, when starting goaltender Lorne Chabot suffered an eye injury after being hit by the puck in the second period. This is a record for the oldest goalie to play in the Stanley Cup Finals that still stands today. At the time it was not common for teams to have a backup goaltender, and the opposing team's coach had to allow a substitute goaltender. However the Maroon's manager-coach Eddie Gerard refused to give permission for the Rangers to use Alec Connell, the Ottawa Senator's star netminder who was in the stands, as well as minor-leaguer Hugh McCormick. Odie Cleghorn, the then-coach of the Pittsburgh Pirates, stood in for Patrick as coach for the remainder of the game, and directed the Rangers to check fiercely at mid-ice which limited the Maroon players to long harmless shots. Patrick saved 18 to 19 shots while allowing one goal in helping the Rangers to an overtime victory.[6] For the next three games, the league gave permission for the Rangers to use Joe Miller from the New York Americans in goal. The Rangers went on to win the Stanley Cup.[7][1]

He resigned as coach in 1939 for his one-time great center Frank Boucher, and Patrick was again a Stanley Cup-winning general manager when Boucher led the Rangers to their last Cup for 54 years in 1940.

Patrick finally retired as general manager in 1946, but stayed on as vice president of Madison Square Garden, finally exiting in 1950.[9]

Suffering from cancer, Lester died at his Victoria home after a heart attack on June 1, 1960, at the age of 76.[11] Exactly four weeks later, he was followed by his brother Frank, 75. Frank's death was also attributed to a heart attack.

Legacy

The Lester Patrick Trophy, awarded for outstanding contributions to hockey in the United States, is named for him. He was also the namesake of the Patrick Division, one of the former divisions of the NHL teams.[9]

The Patricks have been dubbed "Hockey's Royal Family." Lester himself was the father of Lynn Patrick and the grandfather of Craig Patrick, both of whom are themselves Honoured Members of the Hockey Hall of Fame. Another son, Muzz Patrick, was a star player and eventually coach and general manager of the Rangers. Lester's grandson Glenn Patrick played in the NHL during parts of the 1970s while another grandson, Dick Patrick (Muzz's son) has been president of the Washington Capitals since 1982 (he is also a minority owner).[12]

Fischler, Stan (1976). Those Were The Days: The Lore of Hockey by the Legends of the Game. New York, NY: Dodd, Mead & Company. ISBN0-396-07015-9.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>

Norton, Wayne (2009). Women on Ice: The Early Years of Women's Hockey in Western Canada (2009 ed.). Ronsdale Press. ISBN1-55380-073-7.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles> - Total pages: 180